Latest news with #Chilwell
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Furious builder is fined £500 by council busybody for flytipping after he left two empty sacks on grass verge while renovating house
An angry builder has been handed a £6,500 fine for flytipping - after renovating a home but leaving two empty sacks on a grass verge. Frank Brown, 63, has hit out after receiving the penalty - saying he put the heavy-duty bags on the patch of land to avoid blocking the driveway where he was working. The sacks, containing a few inches of sand, were outside the property on a road in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, for three days before he was fined. Mr Brown is now refusing to pay - insisting he always had the intention of taking the sacks with him after the job was finished. The grandfather-of-two said: 'It's madness - I wasn't flytipping. 'I was carrying out quite a big building job on a house and we had a skip and the customers had two cars so space was limited. 'I put the empty sacks on a grass verge just outside the front of the house. They were there for three days before I got fined. 'An enforcement agent knocked on the bay window and said he wanted to speak to me about the fly-tipping and pointed at the bags. 'I said to him, "Okay, mate, I'm sorry if there's been a misunderstanding, I'll remove them now" - but he said, "No, it's too late". 'The official just said, "I'm writing you a fine for £500 for fly-tipping". 'I was shocked and couldn't believe there was no common sense being applied..' He received a Fixed Penalty Notice from Broxtowe Borough Council on June 24. Mr Brown, who has run his building firm for 30 years, said: 'I was so shocked, I told my wife and she wrote a post about what happened and put it on Facebook. 'We had lots of responses from people who had also been fined. 'It's just bullying tactics - it was like the official who fined me was waiting to pounce, he just didn't seem to have any feelings. 'It was really upsetting. My wife was really upset and we can't afford to pay this.' The fine was issued by Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement, a company that works with more than 40 local authorities. WISE says it issues people with FPNs for offences such as littering and dog fouling, while describing having 'an impressive 79 per cent payment rate'. Mr Brown is now being backed by a legal expert who says the FPN should be void because the building materials were not technically waste. Lawyer Michael Orlik, who specialises in highways, said: 'It has been issued because the builder is alleged to have deposited waste unlawfully, contrary to the Environmental Protection Act. 'But under section 75, external, waste means any substance or object which the holder discards. 'Clearly the builder has not discarded these bags, so it's not waste. They should cancel it, having found out their mistake.' A Broxtowe Borough Council spokesperson said: 'The council uses a third party contractor, WISE, for enforcement on flytipping and littering in the borough and are therefore unable to comment on individual cases.' Official figures recently suggested flytipping in England has risen to its highest level in almost 20 years. Environment Secretary Steve Reed vowed to toughen up enforcement after reported cases of illegal dumping passed 1.15million in 2023-2024. The figure is an increase of six per cent from the 1.08million the previous year and the highest level in the six years since the current method for reporting was brought in. The statistics also revealed a year-on-year fall in the number of fixed penalty notices issued for flytipping and a decline in the number of court-issued fines. Analysis of the data revealed London as a major hotspot, with eight boroughs in the top 10 local authorities for overall dumping and the highest proportion by population. The London Borough of Croydon was said to be the flytipping capital of the UK with 35,470 recorded incidents, according to an analysis of government data published covering the period from April 2023 to March 2024. Across England, the scourge of fly-tipping represnted a 6.2 per cent increase on the previous year and the second consecutive annual rise recorded. Nottingham and Liverpool were also included in the top 10, with other places towards the highest levels being Birmingham and Bradford. Last year some 60 per cent of cases involved household waste, with 688,000 incidents of illegally dumped rubbish from homes. These ranged from black bags of waste to the contents of shed clearances, furniture, carpets and DIY. The most common places for flytipping to occur were on pavements and roads, accounting for 37 per cent of incidents. Almost one third, or 31 per cent, of incidents were the size of a small van load. And another 28 per cent amounted to the equivalent of a car boot or less of rubbish. Meanwhile, four per cent were the size of a tipper lorry load or bigger. Large flytipping incidents have cost £13.1million for local authorities to clean up, research showed. Mr Reed has said: 'Flytipping is a disgraceful act which trashes communities and its increase is unacceptable. Communities and businesses shouldn't have to put up with these crimes. 'This Government will crack down on fly tipping and punish rubbish dumpers, forcing them to clean up their mess.'
BBC News
01-07-2025
- BBC News
Builder refuses to pay £500 fly-tipping penalty
A builder has accused a private enforcement firm of bullying him to pay £500 after he left building materials on a grass Brown was working on a house in Bye Pass Road in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, where he was issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for a specialist solicitor has told the BBC that the FPN was incorrectly issued, as the building materials had not been discarded and were therefore not was issued by Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement (WISE) - a firm that works with more than 40 local authorities across England, including in Broxtowe where Mr Brown was working. WISE has not responded to a request for comment. WISE says it issues people with FPNs for offences such as littering, dog fouling and fly-posting, and it claims to have "an impressive 79% payment rate".Mr Brown said the FPN was "utterly ridiculous" and he would rather be taken to court than pay it."It's just bullying tactics," said Mr Brown. "It was as though he was waiting to pounce... he just didn't seem to have any feelings."It was really upsetting. My wife was really upset - we can't afford to pay this."Mr Brown said other people shared similar experiences when his wife posted about it on Facebook."I think these companies are out to make a quick buck and upset people," he said. Why was the FPN issued? Mr Brown was issued with the FPN on Tuesday 24 said he left two bags of sand on a grass verge just outside the boundary of the property he was working on, because the driveway was full with two cars and a Brown said he was working inside the property when an officer knocked on the window and asked him to go outside."I went out and he wanted my name and address," said Mr Brown."I was a bit reluctant to give it him but he said 'you could be in a lot of trouble'."Although the officer was working for WISE, Mr Brown said he was wearing a top that said "Broxtowe Borough Council".Mr Brown said the officer pointed to the two bags of sand and accused him of fly-tipping."I said to him, 'OK mate, I'm sorry if there's been a misunderstanding, I'll remove it now'," said Mr Brown. "But he said 'no it's too late'."The officer then issued a printed FPN asking him to pay £500 as an "alternative to prosecution". Is the £500 penalty enforceable? The FPN was issued under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act claims Mr Brown committed an offence of Michael Orlik, an independent solicitor who specialises in highways, told the BBC that the FPN had been issued incorrectly."It has been issued because the builder is alleged to have deposited waste unlawfully, contrary to the Environmental Protection Act, but under section 75, waste means any substance or object which the holder discards," said Mr Orlik."Clearly the builder has not discarded these bags, so it's not waste."Mr Orlik said Mr Brown should appeal against the FPN."They should cancel it having found out their mistake," said Mr Mr Brown does not pay, he could be prosecuted and taken to court, where his case would be heard before a district judge, or two or three lay magistrates."That's where he would say 'I'm not going to pay it, I'm not liable to pay it, you've got to prove beyond reasonable doubt that this is an offence, and that I discarded it, but I haven't discarded it, I'm using it'," said Mr Orlik."No solicitor can ever forecast a judge, but I think it's most unlikely there would be a conviction, and the charge would be dismissed."Mr Orlik said leaving building materials on a grass verge could be an offence under the Highways Act 1980, but only the highway authority could enforce would be Nottinghamshire County Council, rather than Broxtowe Borough Council."A highway inspector could arrive on the site under section 149 of the Highways Act 1980 and say to the builder, 'please remove this, it's a nuisance'," said Mr Orlik."It's hardly a nuisance, because the photograph shows that there's a carriageway, a footway, and a verge, and people are unlikely to walk on the verge so it's not a nuisance." What has the council said? Broxtowe Borough Council has been using WISE officers to enforce fly-tipping and littering laws since April, as part of a 12-month trial a statement, the council said: "The council uses a third party contractor, WISE, for enforcement on fly-tipping and littering in the borough and are therefore unable to comment on individual cases."However, residents are able to appeal a fixed penalty notice by contacting broxtowe@ or call 0333 577 2949."The BBC asked the council for details about its financial arrangement with WISE, including how money from the FPNs is split, but the council has not responded to a press release issued in May, the council said income from FPNs "can only be allocated towards measures that mitigate fly-tipping incidents or support actions that will help to prevent further issues".Broxtowe borough councillor Tyler Marsh, ward councillor for where the FPN was issued, said he had spoken to Mr Brown and would monitor what happened."I have spoken with Frank and the relevant council officer and will be monitoring the progress of the appeal, as well as scrutinising the contract and current operations of WISE in Broxtowe," he said."WISE's contract with the council is currently in its trial period. As councillors, we will factor reports like this into our review process and determine whether this approach is working for residents."
Scottish Sun
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Millwall slapped with fine and put on ‘extended action plan' after homophobic chants towards Ben Chilwell
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MILLWALL have been fined £15,000 by the FA after their fans made homophobic chants towards Chelsea star Ben Chilwell. Lions supporters were heard shouting a homophobic slur during their FA Cup clash at Selhurst Park in March while the left-back was on loan at Crystal Palace. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Chilwell was at the receiving end of homophobic chants from Millwall fans Credit: Getty 3 Millwall fans were slammed by the FA for their behaviour Credit: Getty 3 A section of Millwall fans during the game Credit: Rex FA big-wigs have also put the Championship club on an 'extended action plan' which requires them to do more work to eradicate all forms of discrimination. The chants were directed at Chilwell in the fifth and 20th minutes of a fiery fifth-round tie that Palace ran out 3-1 winners. Millwall supporters were also slammed by the FA for chanting 'Let him die' at Palace star Jean-Philipe Matata while he lay stricken on the ground after a horror challenge from keeper Liam Roberts, who was sent off. Matata needed 10 minutes of treatment before being taken to hospital with a nasty gash on his head that required 25 stitches. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS MILLIE DUMPED ME TOO Fresh twist in England ace Millie Bright's 'complicated' love life The Millwall keeper later apologised to Matata for his tackle. While the South London club were condemned by the FA for their fans' behaviour at Selhurst Park, they did praise and accept their efforts in tackling discrimination. In a written statement the FA said the Lions 'exceed the requirements' set out for clubs to be anti-discriminatory and said they should be encouraged to continue this work. The FA's extended action plan for Millwall covers communication ahead of games about their stance on anti-discrimination, sending their own stewards to high-risk games and ensuring they have an equality, diversity and inclusion committee. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK They also want the Lions to put together an article each month to summarise their community and EDI work. A Lions spokesman said: 'Millwall FC condemns all forms of discrimination and acknowledges the FA's decision. Eberechi Eze to Tottenham LATEST | Transfers Exposed 'The club will continue to do all it can to tackle discriminatory abuse through its equality steering committee and dedicated anti-discrimination campaign All 'Wall. 'The term 'Chelsea rent boy' is officially recognised as a homophobic slur and is condemned by the club. 'Since January 2022 the chant has been classified as a prosecutable offence by the Crown Prosecution Service for anyone found using it. Anyone identified in doing so will be banned. 'The club reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discrimination. Such behaviour has no place in society and is entirely at odds with the values Millwall stands for.
The Irish Sun
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Millwall slapped with fine and put on ‘extended action plan' after homophobic chants towards Ben Chilwell
MILLWALL have been fined £15,000 by the FA after their fans made homophobic chants towards Chelsea star Ben Chilwell. Lions supporters were heard shouting a homophobic slur during their FA Cup clash at Selhurst Park in March while the left-back was on loan at 3 Chilwell was at the receiving end of homophobic chants from Millwall fans Credit: Getty 3 Millwall fans were slammed by the FA for their behaviour Credit: Getty 3 A section of Millwall fans during the game Credit: Rex FA big-wigs have also put the Championship club on an 'extended action plan' which requires them to do more work to eradicate all forms of discrimination. The chants were directed at Chilwell in the fifth and 20th minutes of a fiery fifth-round tie that Palace ran out 3-1 winners. Matata needed 10 minutes of treatment before being taken to hospital with a nasty gash on his head that required 25 stitches. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS The While the South London club were condemned by the FA for their fans' behaviour at Selhurst Park, they did praise and accept their efforts in tackling discrimination. In a written statement the FA said the Lions 'exceed the requirements' set out for clubs to be anti-discriminatory and said they should be encouraged to continue this work. The FA's extended action plan for Millwall covers communication ahead of games about their stance on anti-discrimination, sending their own stewards to high-risk games and ensuring they have an equality, diversity and inclusion committee. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK They also want the Lions to put together an article each month to summarise their community and EDI work. A Lions spokesman said: 'Millwall FC condemns all forms of discrimination and acknowledges the FA's decision. Eberechi Eze to Tottenham LATEST | Transfers Exposed 'The club will continue to do all it can to tackle discriminatory abuse through its equality steering committee and dedicated anti-discrimination campaign All 'Wall. 'The term 'Chelsea rent boy' is officially recognised as a homophobic slur and is condemned by the club. 'Since January 2022 the chant has been classified as a prosecutable offence by the Crown Prosecution Service for anyone found using it. Anyone identified in doing so will be banned. 'The club reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of discrimination. Such behaviour has no place in society and is entirely at odds with the values Millwall stands for.
BBC News
07-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Beloved Nottingham tram cat returns home for the final time
The memorial of a cat at a tram stop where he frequently cuddled up to commuters has now been returned to his former owners in an apparent "stroke of luck".Benton, a black and white moggy, became well-known for visiting the Inham Road tram stop in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, before he died in Express Transit (NET) subsequently added a poster about him to the stop's information board at the Ginny Hicks, the cat's owner, spotted an tram worker while travelling to work last month, who mentioned it would soon be taken down. "She struck up a conversation with him," her daughter, Steph Hicks said."They offered really quickly to give [Benton's memorial] back to her and arranged it all... but if she hadn't been going to work at that time on that day, it might not of happened." The "sociable" feline was found as a stray by the Hicks' family when he was a four-month-old kitten, after almost being hit by a bus in ingratiated himself with the local community thereafter by visiting the Inham Road tram stop "pretty much every day".Steph said: "He was a really big personality, even for a cat. He'd just go down there all the time, because he was smart enough to know that there's people that are going to be staying still there."If there was somebody out on the street, he wanted to be their friend."Since he's been gone, we end up speaking to people about him and his memory, complete strangers, bonding over the memories of Benton." The memorial of Benton was formally delivered back to the family on 3 June."We're very touched by all of this, it just kind of feels like it's come full circle with him coming home," Steph an alternative to the memorial, information about Benton and a collage of pictures has been added to the tram stop's web page."So it's a bit bittersweet, because obviously we still miss Benton, but knowing that he was so loved, its a nice feeling."According to Steph, NET needed to change the information board because it was "outdated", and there was no room to keep the memorial poster on the new version."[We're] completely fine with that. We feel really cared for by NET and the lovely gestures that they've done there," she said.
